The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – There are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a full week, but for Covington Lady Cougars shortstop Brooklynn Hicks, it may not be enough.
Just a sophomore, Hicks is involved in more activities than an activity coordinator.
She is an honor student and a member of the National Beta Club. She is also treasurer of the sophomore class and was this year’s homecoming representative. Also, currently a travel ball player for the Alleghany Dirt Diamonds, Hicks plays club volleyball for Next Revolution, is a member of the CHS color guard and has been a majorette since she was 3 years old.
And, right now, Hicks is in the midst of a solid season with the Cougars, the final one for the school. She is hitting over .400, has an OPS over .1000, has driven in eight runs and scored 14 herself.
But the question on everyone’s mind is, where does she find the time to do everything at such a high level?
“Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day, but I’ve learned to prioritize my time. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices, but when you love what you do as much as I do, it’s worth it,” Hicks explained.
One thing Hicks would make time for is if her Cougars made the state tournament his season, which they have shown they are capable of being the team that can do that.
“I definitely think that we have the talent to make it all the way to states if we work hard and work as a team. We came so close last year, only losing to the future state champs (Auburn) by 3. We just need to believe in ourselves and trust in the skills that we’ve been taught. Coach Taylor believed in us enough to come back for our final season so I hope that we can make him proud,” Hicks stated.
Other people that Hicks makes proud are her parents. Sacrificing “normal” vacation time for Hicks’ playing days has been common for the family, and the do-it-all player could not be more thankful for them.
“My family sacrifices so much for me to be the athlete that I am. Both of my parents work full time jobs but still manage to be at every game. Some summers our vacations have been spent at a tournament somewhere. They are my biggest fans, and I love them so much for always being there for me and encouraging me to live my dream,” she said.
Next year is going to look a lot different for Hicks, her current teammates and the community with just one high school, but Hicks looks at it as an exciting time to see how good the teams can be.
“I’m excited to see where softball can go as a sport in this area,” Hicks said.
“We have so many talented athletes and I think that other programs and coaches outside of our area are starting to notice that. I feel like the consolidation will force us to be better due to the competition for spots. We’re pretty much turning three starting line ups into one so everyone will have to bring their A-game,” she added.
Hicks has a plan of how she can continue to improve and make sure she is a big part of that new team next season.
“Just to put in the work. I’m always doing what I can to be better whether it’s playing travel over the summer, working on drills or attending skills camps. You can never stop putting in the work and giving 100%, even at practice. You have to play and train with the mentality that you can be the best,” Hicks said.
But with her season just now entering the home stretch, Hicks still has time to reach one personal goal she would like to accomplish, and she can still try to impress the college scouts as well.
“I’ve never been a power hitter — I’m the kid that plays the base hit game or works a pitcher to draw a walk. I think I led the team in walks last year. This year, my bunt game has been pretty strong. I would really love to hit a home run at least once in my career. That, and to continue to play after high school at the next level. I plan to major in nursing so to do that while playing the sport that I love would be the ultimate goal,” she concluded.
